Star Trek: SNW Reviews D

I am now starting to do “reviews” of episodes of the new Star Trek series “Strange New Worlds.” Unlike earlier ST review posts this time I’ll be doing, at least MOST of the time, one relatively long essay for a single episode that merits some significant commentary (I wouldn’t be surprised if out of a final total of 46 episodes I’ll do one or two posts that are very brief). I’ll be focusing almost exclusively on the political aspects of the episodes but will usually not comment on the pervasive multiculturalism and gender equality of ST.

“The Serene Squall” Episode Seven, Season One. See this for a plot summary.

There are three political themes to mention.

They/Them/Theirs (LGBTQ+)

Although it could possibly be construed as hostile to non-binary people because the character who makes some good statements about being yourself turns out to be the bad guy, it’s actually pro-LGBTQ+ because the prominent doctor she is impersonating IS non-binary and a good guy. This (the pro-LGBTQ+ statement made by the existence of a character who is a popular Federation doctor and is non-binary) gets a little sharper when there is some talk about how Spock, who is half human and half Vulcan, doesn’t need to choose between being Vulcan and being human:

ASPEN: Spock, you know, all species put things into boxes. It’s like you’re either this or you’re that and sometimes we act a certain way to fit people’s expectations, but that’s not necessarily who we are. And sometimes, like on the bridge just now, it can limit us.
SPOCK: You are proposing I better balance my human and Vulcan natures.
ASPEN: I’m saying maybe you’re neither.
SPOCK: That is nonsensical. If I am not human or Vulcan, what am I?
ASPEN: That’s not my question to answer.

First of all, I think this episode counts as pro-LGBTQ+ and I think that “Dr. Aspen’s” statements above are pretty well written.

I am going to use this as an opportunity to get a little long-winded and also a little personal. On one hand, I have been a fairly good or very good ally of what I call the LGB, since 11th grade. On the other hand, for some reason I have been kind of slow to see what I call the TQ+ as important. I go into a little more detail here when discussing the “Broken Rhymes” episode. This is the first time I have commented on the non-binary part of the population (I have watched every season of Discovery an average of three times (including the last three seasons that include a non-binary main character) but I have yet to do “reviews” of that show- something I’ll do in about a year).

First, if “Dr. Aspen” is talking about Spock identifying as equally human and Vulcan, that seems like a better idea than identifying 100% one way or the other. In The Original Series I believe that Spock identified mostly or overwhelmingly as Vulcan. If “Dr. Aspen” meant creating some kind of brand new identity I have tried to grasp what that would be and it has slipped through my fingers or has been as ethereal as smoke, dispersing into nothingness as I try to grasp it. There’s a good chance I am overthinking this and/or I need to get a firmer grip on the LGBTQ+ identities, so I think I will just move on very soon. The good news is that I think that in the process of typing this I DID improve my grasp of the LGBTQ+ identities.

A Clockwork Red??? (Rehabilitation of Convicts)

(Although I was a fan of “A Clockwork Orange” in 9th grade I don’t think I have watched it since then. Wikipedia’s explanation of the term “clockwork orange” doesn’t help, but it sounds like what some assortment of society and government leaders want people to be upon leaving prison, and I believe we need a progressive view of rehabilitation of convicts)

There’s a brief part of the episode that’s about criminal rehabilitation on Vulcan. It sounds pretty good. When I think of that issue in reality in America, I think it’s probably a really good thing, although it must have some short-comings. Although therapy and vocational opportunities and education and such in prison CAN help with some of what’s wrong in our society, I think that a huge majority of convicts wouldn’t be there if they weren’t poor and I would add a similar statement about an overlapping large minority of convicts who wouldn’t be there if they weren’t people of color. In the next three paragraphs I will offer an abridged explanation of exactly what I mean by that.

I simply assume that there are innocent people in prison- and I mean completely innocent- I will say something about the others soon. This belief is partly just a vague one based on being engaged with American liberalism and progressivism for roughly 35 years. It’s also influenced by a work of non-fiction (The Innocent Man) and at least two works of fiction (The Confession and The Guardians) by the author John Grisham. Although I don’t look for this, about once a year I stumble on to a story about someone being declared innocent years after their conviction- I assume that for every such case I hear about there’s probably something like 100 I don’t hear about. There was at least one statement by a main character in the TV show Law and Order: SVU about there being innocent people in prison. And then there’s the people who are sort of guilty but don’t deserve to be convicted - i.e. abused women who killed their abuser, 18yos who had sex with a 17yo in some of the nation’s states, the character Carl Lee Hailey in Grisham’s A Time To Kill, etc.

To a large degree the majority of inmates who wouldn’t be there if they weren’t poor don’t need rehabilitation. Many are completely innocent and would have been acquitted if they hadn’t been represented by an over-worked, under-resourced Public Defender. Many more wouldn’t have committed a crime if not for one or more poverty-related factors that drove their criminal behavior (i.e. they wouldn’t have stolen a loaf of bread for their family if they weren’t penniless, or they wouldn’t have gotten work selling marijuana if they had been able to afford college). In general, POVERTY, not bad morals or a lack of civic values, is why they committed a crime.

To a large degree the majority of those inmates who wouldn’t be there if they weren’t people of color don’t need rehabilitation. They’re there because a racist cop framed them, and a jury fell for it, or they’re guilty but it’s because the racist nature of this society alienated them from trying to work within the system, because the people criticizing crime were the same ones brutalizing their community economically, physically, institutionally, etc. What I’m talking about is well illustrated in the 1996 non-documentary film “Set It Off” starring Queen Latifah and Jada Pinkett Smith. One of the four Black women turns to crime partly because her racist bank employers fire her after a man from her neighborhood tries to rob the bank. Another of the four women turns to crime after her brother, an innocent and unarmed man, is killed by police. There is of course the aforementioned overlap between the population of non-white convicts and the population of poor convicts.

It’s likely that some or most of the convicts I write about above could benefit from therapy and/or vocational and/or educational opportunities while in prison. Ideally there may, in theory, be some way for that to be progressive- i.e. if convicts get therapy and/or college degrees in prison, is the education or therapy compatible with their experiences as (for example) working-class Black Americans? I also wonder how radical books collected by progressives and donated to prison libraries fare when they’re examined by whatever prison official looks at them. When I think about this stuff I worry that at this point, with increasing politicalization outside prisons because of George W. Bush and now Donald Trump, prisons are not creating opportunities for progressive values to be learned or explored or weaponized (depending on which prisoners we’re talking about).

Spartacus (Slavery)

Although it turns out to be a red herring deployed by the bad guy, at one point the crew of the Enterprise thinks that they’re going after slave traffickers. It would be a good story if there WAS an ST episode about going after such scum. About 3-6 years ago I watched the movie “The Birth of a Nation,” which is based on a true story of a major slave rebellion in the American South, and it is a really good movie. I also watched, about 6 years ago, the movie “Harriet” about the Underground Railroad, and I have it in my collection. ST has reminded us of the issue of slavery several times in it’s life, but an episode just about fighting slavery would be great- one story possibility would be a StarFleet crew helping maintain a sci-fi version of the Underground Railroad. About 33 years ago I read a The Next Generation novel called “Spartacus” about the Enterprise encountering a ship adrift with a bunch of android slaves.

Roseanne Reviews U

 This is a set of reviews of Roseanne episodes. My general thoughts about that show are here.         
I will focus only on the political aspects and will mention what percentage of lines spoken by non-family members are spoken by people of color.

“Halloween V” Episode 6, Season 6. See this for a plot summary.

There were about 50-55 lines by non-family members and none were spoken by people of color.

“Guilt By Imagination” Episode 8, Season 6. See this for a plot summary.

There were about 20 lines by non-family members, and all of them were spoken by white characters.

“The Driver’s Seat” Episode 11, Season 6. See this for a plot summary.

There were about 55 lines spoken by non-family members and they were all spoken by white people (almost all of them were spoken by characters who are gay or bi-sexual).

“White Trash Christmas” Episode 12, Season 6. See this for a plot summary.

There are two things to comment on. First, Dan and Roseanne briefly discuss the possibility that their son DJ is gay. Dan doesn’t seem super excited about the possibility that his son is gay but he seems to be okay with it. Roseanne is totally okay with it. In general the show is very anti-homophobic.

At one point Roseanne says something about her son-in-law Mark trying to get a job and suggests that he might have trouble getting a job because employers MIGHT only be hiring women and people of color. I don’t think Roseanne is seriously worried about that, she’s just worried about her son-in-law getting work. The show is very consistently feminist and anti-racist, and towards the end of the series there’s a development meant to make viewers feel good about affirmative action. My thoughts about AA are here.

“Suck Up Or Shut Up” Episode 13, Season 6. See this for a plot summary.
 

At the very end an actor and an actress from a soap opera IN THE REAL WORLD show up and one makes a bad joke about something he calls a “Mexican divorce.” It certainly sounds like a joke that is a bad fit for the generally anti-racist show.

There were about 40 lines spoken by non-family members and and only 10% were spoken by a person of color. On the other hand, about half of them were spoken by a gay character and a bi-sexual character.

Roseanne Reviews T

This is a set of reviews of Roseanne episodes. My general thoughts about that show are here. I will focus only on the political aspects and will mention what percent of lines spoken by non-family members are spoken by people of color.

“Promises, Promises” Episode 22, Season 5. Wikipedia summary is here.

First, I occasionally have to criticize this show and this is one such episode. Although the show really is, overall, very anti-homophobic, in an earlier episode there was a counter-example to that and it shows up in this episode, too. In this episode, some of the adults try hiding from David (a teenage boy) the fact that a friend of the family is a lesbian. It’s simply because he’s a minor (well, I’m pretty sure they have no reason to think he’s homophobic, so I think it’s because of his age).

There are 35-40 lines in this episode spoken by non-family members, and about 20% are by people of color.

“Glengary, Glen Rosey” Episode 23, Season 5. For a plot summary see this.

Out of about 50 lines by non-family members, about 1/4 were by people of color.

“Tooth or Consequences” Episode 24, Season 5. See this for a plot summary.

Out of about 15 lines spoken by non-family members, all were spoken by white people (but almost all were spoken by two gay or bi-sexual characters).

“The Mommy’s Curse” Episode 2, season 6. For a plot summary see this.

Out of 20-25 lines by non-family members, none are by people of color.

“Party Politics” Episode 3, Season 6. See this for a plot summary.

Out of about 10-15 lines spoken by non-family members, none are spoken by people of color.

Roseanne Reviews S

This is a set of reviews of Roseanne episodes. My general thoughts about that show are here. I will focus only on the political aspects and will mention what percent of lines spoken by non-family members are spoken by people of color.

“Wait ’Til Your Father Gets Home” Episode 16, Season 5. Wikipedia summary is here.

There are about 25 lines by non-family members and all of them are spoken by white people.

“First Cousin, Twice Removed” Episode 17, Season 5. Wikipedia summary is here.

There are about 15 lines by non-family members and about 1/3 of them are by people of color.

“Lose a Job, Winnebago” Episode 18, Season 5. Wikipedia summary is here.

Out of about 50 lines by non-family members, none are by people of color.

“It’s a Boy!” Episode 19, Season 5. See this for a plot summary.

There were 15-20 lines by non-family members and none were by people of color.

“Playing with Matches” Episode 21, Season 5. See this for a plot summary.

There are about 30 lines by non-family members and none of them are by people of color.

Comprehensive Post on Unions and Racism in the White Working-Class

At some point in early 2020 I was working on a post about Affirmative Action and although it was partly aimed at the Hard Left (anarchists, Leninists, etc.) I decided to include (towards the end) some thoughts that are more aimed at moderate and liberal Democrats than at progressives. They were about the role of unions in rolling back racism in the white working-class. I did the same sort of thing in a June 2020 post about Black Lives Matter and the Trump administration (that post was aimed at the general population).

In the first month after the George Floyd killing I read many articles about racism on Politico and on the CNN site. Although CNN is pretty corporate, their coverage of BLM stuff in that first month was pretty good and Politico has never seemed centrist to me. But in the articles I was reading about BLM from these sources there was nothing about unions. And when I have read stuff about unions (from progressive or liberal or centrist sources) I don’t think I have ever read anything about rolling back racism among white workers. (UPDATE 8/6/24 Although I DID email a LOT of people about this CNN article last October, I am only now remembering to add it to this post- in that article a CNN reporter talks about pretty much what this post is talking about)

Soon I’ll explain why I believe unions help challenge racist views among white people, but I need to first explain why I believe that most or almost all of the leadership of the American labor movement is anti-racist.

About 27 years ago the late John Sweeney was elected President of the AFL-CIO. He became a member of the Democratic Socialists of America around the same time and DSA is an incredibly anti-racist organization. He was elected on the same slate as Linda Chavez-Thompson who became Executive Vice President and held that position until 2007. He also hired Bill Fletcher Jr. as Assistant to the President. Fletcher Jr. was "national organizer" for the Black Radical Congress and part of the coordinating committee from 1998-2003.  (The BRC was a coalition of Black people and organizations on the broad Left in America).

In a full statement below Fletcher Jr. says that unionization can spread anti-racist education and practices. I imagine that means that leaders at lower and/or higher levels push an anti-racist agenda. Fletcher Jr. and Fernando Gapasin wrote a 2008 book about the split in the labor movement that produced Change to Win. I am not incredibly well educated about the labor movement but one of the things  I HAVE read is that book and although it says that there is room for improvement when it comes to racial justice and organized labor, it gave me the impression that most or almost all leaders of organized labor in the last 27 years are anti-racist.

Why do I believe that unions will help roll back racism among the white working-class? I have known for decades that exit polls during American elections indicate that voters from union households are more likely to vote Democratic than other voters are. This is anecdotal, but in 2000, on the discussion list of the Young Democratic Socialists (now YDSA) a member who was organizing workers in Indiana said that his competition (for the hearts and minds of the workers) was the Ku Klux Klan.

Bill Fletcher Jr. sent me the following statement: “unionization has proven, time and again, to be a critical instrument in promoting democracy. Unionized workers tend to vote in a more progressive direction, though not uniformly.  And unions offer a unique opportunity to bring workers together across race, ethnic, religious and gender lines, to seek a common resolution to the challenges of economic injustice.  Through unionization anti-racist education and practices can be introduced to the broader workforce, often leading to the isolation of racists and rightwing populists.”

In a column included in a 1998 collection of his work in previous decades, Northern Ireland journalist Eamonn McCann wrote that the labor movement had the most potential to eradicate religious bigotry in N. Ireland. He wrote: “No other institution brings Catholic and Protestant workers together on a regular basis in pursuit of a common purpose which is antipathetic to sectarianism.” McCann’s columns have been published by an average of 1-2 publications (magazines or newspapers staffed by professionals, including the Irish Times (Ireland’s biggest newspaper)) at any given time in the last 40 years and he has held senior positions in Ireland’s labor movement for 2-4 decades and he was one of the main leaders of the N. Ireland civil rights movement in the late 1960s and early 1970s. In  2016 he was elected to the N. Ireland Assembly and in 2017 he would have been re-elected but they had reduced the number of Assembly members elected from each constituency from 6 to 5 and he was runner-up. He is an expert on fighting sectarianism in N. Ireland and believes that organized labor has a crucial role to play. Mark Langhammer, who was head of the N. Ireland part of the Irish Labour Party for several years around 2010 told me in 2005 that he agrees with McCann’s comment on the subject.



Many people believe that there are great similarities between the conflict in N. Ireland during The Troubles and the conflict over racism in this country. This includes people like Angela Y. Davis and in 1972 the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. For more about this, see posts on my blog here and here, And/or read the 1998 Brian Dooley book “Black and Green.”

Although I am not a psychologist or sociologist I believe that both academic fields are relevant to this. On a similar issue (the effect that anti-racist actions by American supporters of Sinn Fein can have on the racial attitudes of many Irish-American supporters of SF) I sought the opinion of a woman with a BA in both psychology and sociology from the University of Colorado at Boulder and a Masters in Social Work from the University of Denver and she agreed with me that if SF and it’s anti-racist American supporters would do more anti-racist stuff in America, many racist Irish-American supporters of SF would start questioning racism. I asked another psychologist with some background in sociology the same question and she agreed with me as well. That makes me confident that I am right about this theory I have about unions and racism.

I believe unions in America play a role in combatting racism and that that can be escalated when they return to the level of strength they were at before their decline began decades ago. If racist working-class whites see multi-cultural anti-racist unions negotiating collective bargaining agreements that they benefit from, many of them will start to question racism.

I think that if organized labor and it’s supporters talked about this that would help win over fiscally moderate and conservative Democrats. 

Unfortunately many such Democrats have declined to vote in favor of strengthening labor unions. I’m sure these same Democrats are alarmed at the rise of Donald Trump and at the existence of the Proud Boys. What’s more important to them- protecting capitalism, or fighting racism?

(Another version of this was published in the Boulder Weekly, a widely read alternative paper for all of Boulder County, here) (it was also published a second time here).

(I am much more of a Sinn Fein supporter than a supporter of Eamonn McCann, but McCann wrote that quote about trade-unions in N. Ireland)

Roseanne Reviews R

This is a set of reviews of Roseanne episodes. My general thoughts about that show are here. I will focus only on the political aspects and will mention what percent of lines spoken by non-family members are spoken by people of color.

“Good Girls, Bad Girls” episode 10, season 5. Wikipedia summary is: “Molly has an extra ticket for a rock concert in a neighboring town, and Roseanne reluctantly allows Darlene to go. When Darlene arrives home in a cab at 4:00 a.m., Roseanne initially doubts her explanation that Molly ditched her to smoke pot in a stranger's van.”

Out of about 30 lines by non-family members, none are spoken by people of color.

“It’s No Place Like Home For The Holidays” Episode 12, Season 5. Wikipedia summary is: “A snowstorm forces the Conners to be far-flung on Christmas Eve: Roseanne, Jackie, Bev, and Nana Mary are stuck at the Lunchbox; Dan, DJ, Nancy and Nancy's Girlfriend Maria (Morgan Fairchild) are trapped at the Conner house; and Darlene is stranded at David's, witnessing his abusive home life.”

Dan mis-interprets something the gay couple the family is friends with and thinks that they said something too sexual for the ears of his young son. I think there’s a problem with even good allies having an exxagerated sense of how sexual LGBTQ+ people are and I’m sure that if it had been a heterosexual couple, Dan wouldn’t have objected to what they said in front of his son.

“Crime and Punishment” and “War and Peace” Episodes 13 and 14. Wikipedia summaries are: “The Connors are called to DJ's school to discuss the "obscene" reading material he brought to class. Dan and Roseanne are shocked to learn it is one of Darlene and David's comic books. Later, Darlene accidentally walks in on Jackie in D.J.'s bathroom, finding her covered with bruises. Roseanne presses Jackie for an explanation and learns that Fisher assaulted her. Dan beats up Fisher and lands in jail. Ed Begley, Jr. appears in this episode. Brice Beckham (Mr. Belvedere) appears.” And “As Roseanne takes Jackie to the hospital, and Darlene bails Dan out of jail, the news of Dan hitting Fisher quickly spreads through town. Meanwhile, Fisher begs Jackie to come back. Roseanne is shocked to hear this was not the first time Fisher hit Jackie, but learns that Jackie is strong enough to make her own decisions.”

This two-parter is about Jackie being physically abused by her boyfriend. I don’t have much to add except that that’s horrible.

In “Crime and Punishment” there were 40-50 lines by non-family members and about 10% were by people of color.

In "War and Peace" there are 20-30 lines by non-family members and 20% are by people of color.

“Lanford Daze” Episode 15, Season 5. Wikipedia summary is: “Vegetarian Darlene vandalizes the Lunch Box as a protest against eating animals. To punish Darlene, Roseanne forces her to sell loose-meat sandwiches at the diner's Lanford Days festival concession stand.”

Out of about 20-25 lines by non-family members about 10% are by people of color.

Roseanne Reviews Q

This is a set of reviews of Roseanne episodes. My general thoughts about that show are here. I will focus only on the political aspects and will mention what percent of lines spoken by non-family members are spoken by people of color.

“Pretty in Black” Episode 5 Season 5. Wikipedia summary is: “The Conners enjoy torturing Darlene by pretending to give her a dreaded Sweet-Sixteen birthday party. While playing "Truth or Dare" with Jackie, Anne Maire, and Crystal, Roseanne suffers an embarrassing incident when she unexpectedly meets the Conners new neighbor. “

There were about 40-45 lines by non-family members and about 10% were by a person of color.

“Looking for Loans in All the Wrong Places” Episode 6, Season 5. Wikipedia summary is: “Roseanne and Jackie decide to open a diner with Nancy, using the money that Bev gave them. When the three are unable to get a bank loan for the additional needed capital, Bev agrees to put up another $10,000, but only as a 4th partner. Molly complains to Darlene about D.J.'s voyeurism, and Darlene confronts Molly about her flirtatious behavior with David.”

This episode expresses support for affirmative action (especially for women) when it comes to small business loans. But the Small Business Administration won’t help Roseanne, Jackie, and Nancy and Roseanne says: “the SBA supposed to be set up to help people like us, but y’all don’t know nothing about people like us. The trouble with people who work for the government is you all have jobs.”

There were about 50 lines by non-family members and none were by people of color.

“Halloween IV” episode 7, Season 5. Wikipedia summary is: “Becky's absence has drained Roseanne's Halloween spirit, so she is visited by the ghosts of Halloween Past, Present, and a truly terrifying Future.”

There were about 30-40 lines by non-family members and about 10% were by people of color.

“Ladies’ Choice” Episode 8, Season 5. Wikipedia summary is: “Roseanne and Jackie are shocked to discover that Nancy is a lesbian. Roseanne thinks she is getting old when Bev moves into a retirement community.”

A huge part of this episode is recurring character Nancy coming out as gay or bi. Roseanne and Jackie respond in a way that’s mostly positive but realistically a little homophobic.

Jackie at one point says she’s going to Walmart. This is decades before Walmart started paying its workers better (about 5 years ago). Jackie might be poor enough that  I would have no problem with her shopping there- even though I boycotted Walmart until recently (I’ve probably spent a total of about $100 there and that’s probably about 3-5% of what I’ve spent on groceries in the last year) I’ve always understood that there’s nothing wrong with poor people shopping there.

Out of about 20-25 lines by non-family members, none are by people of color.

“Stand on Your Man” Episode 9, Season 5. Wikipedia summary is: “Roseanne, working a late shift at the diner alone, is threatened by an aggressive customer, prompting the girls to take a self-defense class. When Arnie wants to return to Nancy, he learns she is a lesbian.”

Out of about 45-55 lines by non-family members, about 5% are by a person of color.

Roseanne Reviews P

This is a set of reviews of Roseanne episodes. My general thoughts about that show are here. I will focus only on the political aspects and will mention what percent of lines spoken by non-family members are spoken by people of color.

“Aliens” Episode 25, Season 4. Wikipedia summary is: “DJ's spelling-bee triumph is a welcome bright spot as Rodbell's luncheonette closes down and Dan's bike shop continues its slow descent. Meanwhile, Nancy is heartbroken when Arnie leaves her, especially when he claims he was abducted by aliens.”

There are two main notes I’m going to make about this episode. The first is about a economically progressive bit of dialogue between Roseanne and a state representative (member of the state House) and the second is something that comes up when the state representative meets Roseanne a second time- small businesses.

State Representative: I’m going door-to-door trying to get to know my constituents.

Roseanne: Door-to-door, huh? That takes a lot of time. Why don’t you just go down to the unemployment office and see everyone at once?

SR: I hear you, and you’re right, we can’t let this area’s workforce lay idle. That’s why bringing in new business is my #1 priority.

Roseanne: How?

SR: Through tax incentives. See, we’re going to make it cheaper for out-of-state businesses to set up shop right here in Lanford.

Roseanne: So they get a tax break?

SR: Yeah that’s why they come here.

Roseanne: Well, who’s gonna pay the taxes that they aren’t paying?

SR: Well, you will. But you’ll be working- good steady employment.

Roseanne: union wages?

SR: Well, now, part of the reason these companies are finding it so expensive to operate in other locations-

Roseanne: So, they’re gonna dump the union so they can come here and hire us at scab wages, and then for that privilege we get to pay their taxes.


(A scab is a strike-breaker)

********

I’m not as pro-small business as a lot of progressives are. I understand the arguments in favor of small businesses but A) there are some “small” businesses with dozens or hundreds of employees and at some point there’s enough employees that I think there should definitely be a union, and B) there are some things about larger chain stores that are better than small businesses.

How are small businesses better?
1. In general it’s a good thing that they’re more likely to respond to what the community wants.
2. Although this may be less true than some think, they at least sort of keep money in the community when they bank locally.
3. At many small businesses the boss is working right alongside their employees most of the time and isn’t getting paid tons more than them.

How are large businesses better?
1. They tend to have cheaper prices than local businesses of the same type.
2. They’re more likely to be unionized (or at least that used to be the case and might still be)

In Boulder, CO, about 25 years ago someone started the Boulder Independent Business Alliance, as an alternative to the Chamber of Commerce. It’s founder was a well-known and respected anti-corporate activist, and it was very popular with progressives. Around the same time there was a labor battle taking place in Southern Colorado. Steelworkers in Pueblo were locked out of their plant. I can’t remember many details but it was a pretty messed up situation. At one point I asked the founder of BIBA if he would encourage member companies to boycott a bank that was tied to the employer. He said no. I probably didn’t do a great of trying but I don’t think that explains why he said no. A little before or a little after I asked, a very skilled student organizer did the same thing and got the same response. Even the small businesses that are anti-corporate in Boulder won’t do anything to help LOCKED OUT (not striking) workers. Locked out workers are prevented from doing their job until they cease non-strike agitation as part of a labor dispute; it’s initiated by the employer, not the workers.

I am open-minded about one idea that I think pro-small business progressives would like. There should be some way to identify which small businesses are going to have trouble paying a decent wage because of some reason other than greed at the top, and some mechanism to funnel money from the government to those employees being paid a low wage. Also, although businesses will probably be taxed more to pay for universal health care, that would be an employee benefit businesses wouldn’t need to worry about providing.


There are about 20-25 lines spoken by non-family-members  and none are spoken by people of color.

“Terms of Estrangement, Part 1” Episode 1, Season 5. Wikipedia summary is: “Roseanne and Dan adjust to losing their bike shop while seeking new jobs. Meanwhile, when Mark receives a great job offer in Minneapolis, he and Becky elope."

The job offer that Mark gets is for a union job that pays three times what he was making working for Dan (see the review above this one about small businesses and corporations).

(Mark and Becky get married and after this episode I won’t count Mark or his brother David as non-family members)

There are 20-25 lines by non-family members and about 15% are by people of color.

“The Dark Ages” Episode 3, Season 5. Wikipedia summary is: “The Conners' electricity is cut off when they cannot pay the bill. Darlene and David stay up all night in Darlene's bedroom working on their comic book. When Roseanne and Dan do not believe Darlene when she insists they did not sleep together, she lashes out, feeling punished for Becky's mistakes. Dan phones Becky, finally thawing the ice between them."

In Becky’s apartment, there’s a poster about saving the rainforest.

“Mommy Nearest” Episode 4, Season 5. Wikipedia summary is: “Jackie starts dating Fisher, a much younger guy played by Metcalf's real-life then-husband Matt Roth. Bev makes a large profit after selling her house and gives Roseanne and Jackie $10,000 each.”

This is the first time that Jackie and Roseanne talk about opening a restaurant. In addition to my comments above about small businesses, I would say that in general I don’t have too many negative thoughts  about them.

Roseanne Reviews O

 This is a set of reviews of Roseanne episodes. My general thoughts about that show are here. I will focus only on the political aspects and will mention what percent of lines spoken by non-family members are spoken by people of color.

“The Commercial Show” Episode 19 Season 4. Wikiedpedia summary is: “The Conners are picked for a Rodbell's commercial, much to Darlene's embarrassment. Leon and his partner break up. The Bowmans are moving back to Chicago.”

There’s about 55 lines by non-family members, but only about 10% were spoken by people of color.

Also, there’s some significant stuff about Leon being gay.

“Therapy” Episode 20, Season 4. Wikipedia summary is: : ”Darlene mouths off about a girl at school, and Roseanne accompanies Jackie to her therapist.”

Out of about 25 lines by non-family members, none are by people of color.

“Lies” Episode 21, Season 4. Wikipedia summary is: “Darlene bypasses Roseanne for advice on David. Roseanne is anxious about a lie detector test in her workplace.”

A very minor character gets upset that he’s eating meat and that he’s using paper products (a cow and a tree had to be killed) but (unfortunately) I think it’s just the writers being funny- I don’t think we’re supposed to take him seriously the way we would if Darlene said something like that.

Roseanne, in a misguided effort at being a good ally outs Leon at work to an investigator working for the corporation (she thinks they’re investigating Leon because he’s gay and calls that un-Ameican). It’s kind of inspiring, if you ignore how she outed him when his supervisors might not have known (probably didn’t know) that he’s gay. She tries to undo the damage by saying that he’s not gay.

Out of 50 lines spoken by non-family members, none are spoken by a person of color.

“Deliverance” Episode 22, Season 4. Wikipedia summary is: “8-months-pregnant Crystal goes into labor and Dan coaches her as she gives birth to her long-awaited daughter. Roseanne and Bonnie feud over who will manage the coffee shop, the feud causing Roseanne and Jackie to miss Crystals daughter being born, but both learn it is closing down in three weeks. Darlene tells David to stop crowding her.”

Out of about 40-45 lines spoken by non-family members, none were by people of color.

“Secrets” Episode 23, Season 4. Wikipedia summary: “Depressed because Becky still will not see him, Mark gets drunk at the Lobo Lounge and puts his fist through the jukebox. Dan tends to him, then must lie to Roseanne and Becky.”

Out of about 30-40 lines by non-family members, about 20% are by people of color.

Roseanne Reviews N

 This is a set of reviews of Roseanne episodes. My general thoughts about that show are here. I will focus only on the political aspects and will mention what percent of lines spoken by non-family members are spoken by people of color.

“Santa Claus” Episode 12, Season 4. Wikipedia summary is: “Roseanne and Jackie are the new Santa and Mrs. Claus at Rodbell's; while on duty, Roseanne meets Darlene's new friend Karen...and Karen's son. She is resentful that Darlene refused to open up to her but has shared her writing with Karen.”

Out of about 25 lines by non-family members none are by people of color.

There are two sort of political things.

1) Darlene’s grown-up friend is a Star Trek fan. Nothing is said about the politics of ST, but it IS a very political franchise, as I explain here.                             

2) Darlene comes out as an atheist.

“Bingo” Episode 13, Season 4. Wikipedia summary is: “Crystal, Roseanne, Bonnie, Anne Marie, and Jackie attend bingo for their girl's night out, while Becky and Darlene look after Little Ed. Roseanne wins a game and quickly becomes addicted, which sparks a fight with Crystal. But Crystal's real story is that she is pregnant again and already feels overwhelmed raising Little Ed and her teenage son while Ed is often away on business.”

An unpopular character makes a stupid but not really offensive comment about Indian casinos. He was acting like the idiot that he is. He’s not a role model like most characters are.

Out of about 45 lines by non-family members, about 1/4 were by a person of color.

“The Bowling Show” Episode 14, Season 4. Wikipedia summary is: “Dan and Arnie struggle to bring their bowling team out of last place, while Roseanne feels shut out of Jackie and Nancy's new friendship. Darlene meets Mark's brother, David for the first time (although he is referred to as Kevin in this episode).”

Out of about 55 lines by non-family members, about 10% are by people of color.

“Less is More” Episode 16, Season 4. Wikipedia summary is: “Roseanne's doctor recommends she get a breast reduction to reduce stress on her back. She agrees in spite of a nightmare (featuring a cameo appearance by Neil Patrick Harris as Doogie Howser, MD), in which her breasts are accidentally enlarged to gigantic proportions.

Out of about 30 lines by non-family members, about 20% are by people of color.

“Breaking Up Is Hard To Do” Episode 17, Season 4. Wikipedia summary is: “When Becky breaks up with Mark, Roseanne and Dan can finally relax.”

I think this is the first time we hear that Darelene is a vegetarian. Although I eat vegetarian and some vegan meals, I’m an omnivore and eat a fair amount of meat. For whatever it’s worth, I occasionally think of becoming a vegetarian (and if I did I wouldn’t eat eggs) but I don’t think I will and I will certainly never become a vegan. I’ve heard that there’s an environmental argument in favor of vegetables over meat because the latter requires more water to produce. I responded to that by cutting back a little on how much meat I consume and replacing it with vegetables.

Out of about 20 lines by a non-family member, none were by people of color.

Roseanne Reviews M

This is a set of reviews of Roseanne episodes. My general thoughts about that show are here. I will focus only on the political aspects and will mention what percent of lines spoken by non-family members are spoken by people of color.

“Vegas” Episode 7 Season 4. Wikipedia summary is: “Arnie and Nancy invite Roseanne and Dan to their Las Vegas wedding. Roseanne and Dan have a fight when she feels neglected and pulls him out of a lucky craps game.”

Out of about 60 lines by non-family members, none are spoken by people of color.

“Vegas, Vegas” Episode 8, Season 4. Wikipedia summary is: “Roseanne is upset that Dan would rather play craps than spend a romantic night together. She and Nancy get drunk and walk into a Wayne Newton impersonator performance, unaware she is heckling the real Wayne Newton who is making a surprise on-stage appearance. After Arnie and Nancy's wedding, they offer Dan and Roseanne the chance to renew their vows.”

Out of about 60 lines by non-family members, none are spoken by people of color.

“Stressed to Kill” Episode 9, Season 4. Wikipedia summary is: “Roseanne resumes smoking to cope with her stressful life—then tries to hide the renewed habit from her family. Roseanne is thrilled when Darlene gets a B on a school report until she learns that Becky actually wrote it for her.”

There is some anti-Columbus stuff. Darlene says that he was a slave trader. I’ll be honest I’m not real familiar with that part of how horrible he was, but I’ve heard it elsewhere from a good source so it’s probably true. She also said that he slaughtered thousands of people. Although I’m not sure if it was thousands or tens of thousands, I DO know for sure that while he was governor of Hispanola (the island now made up of Haiti and the Dominican Republic) at least 99% of the indigenous population was killed.

Although she ends up letting Becky write a politically moderate essay about it for her history class assignment, and this takes place at the height of her anti-social phase, I believe that what Darlene says about Columbus is the view of the show because in a later episode, the show offers a very critical view of Thanksgiving.

Out of about 15 lines by non-family members, about 10% are by people of color.


“Thanksgiving ’91” Episode 10, Season 4. Wikipedia summary is: “During Thanksgiving dinner, Roseanne and Jackie discover their father has been having an affair for 20 years that their mother has known about. Darlene hides out in her room and refuses to open up to anyone except Nana Mary.”

Darlene says: “I opt not to celebrate the exploitation of Indians by a group of religious fanatics.”

This isn’t the later episode I was referring to in the review above. That later episode doesn’t involve DARLENE criticizing Thanksgiving. So, independent of Darlene’s anti-social depressed phase, the show is critical of what happened to American Indians. There’s at least three episodes with that message.

“Kansas City, Here We Come” Episode 11, Season 4. Wikipedia summary is: “Jackie and Roseanne head to Kansas City to meet their father's mistress. Dan goes to beat up Becky's boss for being grossly disrespectful to her, but finds that Mark has beaten him to it.”

Out of about 20 lines by non-family members, none are by people of color.

Roseanne Reviews L

This is a set of reviews of Roseanne episodes. My general thoughts about that show are here. I will focus only on the political aspects and will mention what percent of lines spoken by non-family members are spoken by people of color.

“Scenes From a Barbecue” Episode 24, Season 3. Wikipedia summary is: “The Conners hold a Mother's Day barbecue at which feisty Nana Mary exerts her motherhood muscle on Bev, surprising Roseanne and Jackie with how alike their relationships are.”

Out of about 40 lines by non-family members, about 50% were by people of color.

“The Pied Piper of Lanford” Episode 25, Season 3. Wikipedia summary is: “Roseanne and Dan ponder opening a motorcycle shop with their friend, Ziggy. Ziggy gets cold feet at the last minute but leaves behind a generous token of gratitude: $20,000. Brad Garrett appears in this episode.”

Out of about 55 lines by non-family members, none are by people of color.

“Why Jackie Becomes a Trucker” Epiosde 3 Season 4. Wikipedia summary is: “Jackie is horrified to wake up in bed with Arnie after a drunken fling. Roseanne tries endlessly to return DJ's new dog to its owner. Dan and his pals discover Leon's gay when they invite him to their poker game. Jackie decides to start a new career as a professional truck driver.”

First, out of about 50 lines by non-family members, about 30% are by people of color.

Second, although I have decided to not offer notes about gay characters like the note I just made above about people of color, I am going to occasionally comment on their presence on the show. In this episode Leon plays poker with Dan and his friends and lets them know that he’s gay when they assume he's straight. Their response is positive but of course a bit flawed. One guy says that he knows a gay man in Chicago and asks Leon if he knows the man.

“Tolerate Thy Neighbor” Episode 5, Season 4. Wikipedia summary is: “Roseanne witnesses the Bowmans' possessions being donated to what she believes is charity while the Bowmans are out-of-town. Kathy Bowman is furious that Roseanne watched without realizing the house was being robbed. Bob Hope makes a cameo appearance during the end credits of this episode.”

There’s a lot of pro-LGB stuff in this episode. Leon’s boyfriend shows up at his work and Roseanne encourages Leon to let him stay at home while Leon’s mom visits- usually the boyfriend leaves when that happens. Jackie says that if she were gay she would tell her parents.

Out of about 55-60 lines by non-family members, about 10% are by a person of color.

“Trick me up, trick me down” Episode 6, Season 4. Wikipedia summary is: “When Dan and Roseanne play a gruesome Halloween prank on Kathy Bowman, Roseanne is worried that Kathy will get revenge. Her fears turned out to be for naught as Kathy wants nothing to do with Roseanne and her childish pranks. At the lodge's Halloween party, Jackie discovers that the moose she has been flirting with is Booker, her former boyfriend.”

Out of about 60 lines by non-family members, about 15% were by people of color.

Roseanne Reviews K

This is a set of reviews of Roseanne episodes. My general thoughts about that show are here. I will focus only on the political aspects and will mention what percent of lines spoken by non-family members are spoken by people of color.

“Valentine’s Day” Episode 17, Season 3. Wikipedia summary is: “Roseanne anticipates a special Valentine's Day gift from Dan; Darlene is disappointed when her crush instead invites Becky to a school dance. First appearance of Martin Mull as Leon, Roseanne's new boss, and Bonnie Sheridan as Bonnie, the new waitress at the diner.”

Of about 30 lines by non-family members, none are by people of color.

“Communicable Theater” Episode 18, Season 3. Wikipedia summary is “Roseanne lends more than moral support when Jackie lands a part in the community-theater presentation of “Cyrano de Bergerac.” Jackie finds herself unprepared when she has to step in for the sick lead actress.”

Of about 25 lines by non-family members, none are by people of color.

“Vegas Interruptus” Episode 19, Season 3. Wikipedia summary is: “A snowstorm threatens Roseanne and Dan's trip to Las Vegas, Nevada, but saves Roseanne's job.”

Out of about 50 lines by non-family members, none are by people of color.

“Troubles with the Rubbles” Episode 21, Season 3. Wikipedia summary is: “Roseanne meets her new neighbors, Kathy and Jerry Bowman and their young son, Todd. Kathy is snobby and aloof to Roseanne, while Jerry and Dan hit it off, and D.J. and Todd become fast friends. After a particularly nasty argument with Kathy, Roseanne has to eat some crow for D.J.'s sake.”

Out of about 35-40 lines by non-family members, none are by people of color.

“Dances With Darlene” episode 23, Season 3. Wikipedia summary is: “When Darlene is invited to the school dance, Roseanne brings home fancy dresses for her to try on, annoying Darlene. Meanwhile, it is evaluation time at work for Roseanne and Bonnie, but the inspector seems more interested in seducing Leon. Roseanne and Bonnie learn that Leon is gay when his boyfriend stops by the restaurant.”

In this episode we learn that Leon is gay. Although during his first several appearances he and Roseanne are definitely in conflict, he is not a “bad guy” and eventually becomes close to Roseanne and her family. This was around 1991 and was a pretty big step forward for efforts to oppose homophobia.

Out of about 25-30 lines by non-family members, none are by people of color.

Roseanne Reviews J

This is a set of reviews of Roseanne episodes. My general thoughts about that show are here. I will focus only on the political aspects and will mention what percent of lines spoken by non-family members are spoken by people of color.

(After the episode review of “The Wedding” below, I will stop considering Crystal a non-family member)

“Bird is the Word” Episode 7, Season 3. Wikipedia summary is: “Becky is suspended for allegedly making an obscene gesture in her class photo, earning her popularity at school, but making Roseanne angry that she has to visit the principal. Dan has plans for Becky's suspension.”

Out of about 40 lines by non-family members, about 35% are by people of color.

“Dream Lover” Episode 10, Season 3. Wikipedia summary is: “When Dan starts dreaming about the woman who works at the mall hardware store, Roseanne feels threatened. She decides to meet the woman.”

Out of about 25 lines by non-family members, none are by people of color.

“The Courtship of Eddie, Dan’s Father” Episode 13, Season 3. Wikipedia summary is: “It is Ed Conner's turn to favor the family with a surprise visit, resulting in a short-lived truce with Dan that ends when he announces that he and Crystal are planning to marry.”

Out of about 30 lines by non-family members none are by people of color.

“The Wedding” Episode 14, Season 3. Wikipedia summary is: “Dan struggles to accept the unlikely pairing of Ed and Crystal, especially when Crystal announces that she is pregnant. Dan refuses to attend their wedding.”

Out of about 55 lines by non-family members, about 5-10% are by a person of color.

“Home-EC” Episode 16, Season 3. Wikipedia summary is: “Roseanne is upset that Darlene's home-economics class only invited fathers to discuss their careers. She visits the class to talk about being a working mother, then takes the students on a field trip to the supermarket, followed by them preparing a meal at the Conner home. Meanwhile Dan is helping DJ's bullying problem but it turns out DJ hired a bodyguard to defend him.”

It recognizes the WORK done by housewives as valuable, as valuable as that done by the spouse who works outside the home. That's important.

Out of about 50 lines by non-family members, about 10-20% are by people of color.

Roseannne Reviews I

This is a set of reviews of Roseanne episodes. My general thoughts about that show are here. I will focus only on the political aspects and will mention what percent of lines spoken by non-family members are spoken by people of color.

(After the episode review of “The Wedding” below, I will stop considering Crystal a non-family member)

“Like A Virgin” Episode 3, Season 3. Wikipedia summary is: “Roseanne and Dan think it is time to talk to Becky about birth control, then later catch Darlene making out on their couch.”

Out of about 15 lines by non-family members, none are by people of color.

“Like A New Job” Episode 4, season 3, Wikipedia summary is: “Roseanne quits her hair-salon job for a waitress job at the luncheonette in Rodbell's Department Store. Becky and Darlene fight over their room yet again. After Dan sends Darlene to live in the basement, Roseanne has trouble letting Dan resolve disputes between the kids.”

Out of about 20 lines by non-family members, about 2/3 are by a person of color.

“Goodbye Mr. Right.” Episode 5, Season 3. Wikipedia summary is: “Becky and Darlene think DJ's a psycho when they find his under-the-bed secret stash of dismembered dolls; Jackie is injured in the line of duty and Gary gives her an ultimatum.”

Out of about 40-45 lines by non-family members, about 5% are by people of color.

“Becky, Beds, and Boys” Episode 6 Season 3. Wikipedia summary is: “Roseanne and Dan shop for a new mattress. Becky starts dating Mark, a rebellious teen who Dan and Roseanne dislike. First appearance of Glenn Quinn as Mark.

Out of about 15-20 lines by non-family members, none are by people of color.

“Trick Or Treat” Episode 7, Season 3. Wikipedia summary is: “Roseanne dresses as a male trucker for Halloween and mingles with some guys at the Lobo Lounge. Dan is upset because DJ wants to be a witch for Halloween.”

Out of about 60 lines by non-family members, about 5% are by people of color.

Roseanne Reviews H

This is a set of reviews of Roseanne episodes. My general thoughts about that show are here. I will focus only on the political aspects and will mention what percent of lines spoken by non-family members are spoken by people of color.

“Fender Bender” Episode 21 Season 2. Wikipedia summary is: “Roseanne is rear-ended by Mrs. Wellman, injuring her neck, and must rest for awhile. When Mrs. Wellman does not apologize, Roseanne considers suing her.”

There is definitely a class dimension to this and although it doesn’t seem like a crushing defeat, it’s about the rich winning. Roseanne gives up on the idea of suing Mrs. Wellman when the latter asks if Roseanne has a good lawyer. Roseanne knows that Mrs. Wellman, as a rich person, has a good lawyer and that she and Dan don’t have a good lawyer. There’s also the issue of respect. Mrs. Wellman doesn’t apologize after the accident because her lawyer advised her it would be admitting guilt. But, when Roseanne considers responding to that lack of respect by suing her, Mrs. Wellman, as I said, wins.

There’s about 65-70 lines by non-family members and only about 10% are by people of color.

“April Fool’s Day” Episode 22, Season 2. Wikipedia summary is: “It is tax season and Roseanne and Dan contemplate how to make the process easier. Dan eventually stresses out when he is unable to complete the tax form. Roseanne tries her hand but they end up traveling to the IRS office.”

This is kind of mixed. There’s a lot of non-partisan criticism of the tax system. There’s one very brief apparent suggestion for a flat tax. But there is also a part where Roseanne talks for about half a minute about how rich people pay less tax than the working and middle-classes because they have accountants and tax lawyers that can identify the loop-holes in the tax code.

There’s about 40 lines by non-family members and about 20% are by people of color.

“Happy Birthday” Episode 24, season 2. Wikipedia summary is: “Roseanne, though only turning 37, feels she has hit a dead-end in her life. Always wanting to be a writer, Roseanne makes a wish on this birthday that she had more time to write. Dan and the kids surprise Roseanne with her own writing studio in the basement and leave her alone so she can write. Unfortunately, Roseanne is hit with a severe case of writer's block.”

Out of about 25 lines by non-family members, about 20% are by people of color.

“The Test” Episode 1, Season 3. Wikipedia summary is: “Set in the middle of a hot summer day Dan is reluctant to give Becky driving lessons. Meanwhile, the whole family awaits the results of a more serious test being taken by Roseanne.”

There’s a very brief argument about abortion, with Jackie taking a pro-choice position and Crystal taking the pro-life position. Roseanne appears neutral but later in the series  expresses a pro-choice position at least once. As I have said elsewhere on this blog, my thoughts about abortion are:

“I’m pro-choice for the following reasons: I don’t know whether or not the fetus is alive but I am sure that A) women should control their own bodies, B) without the right to choose they can’t have full equality, and C) if men could also get pregnant there would be a massive pro-choice majority in this country.”

“Friends and Relatives” Episode 2, Season 3. Wikipedia summary is: “Dan lends Arnie $1,500 to buy Nancy an engagement ring. He instead spends it on her breast implants. When Dan falls behind on the bills, Jackie wants to lend him money, but he refuses because she is a relative. DJ starts peeping on his sisters.”

Out of about 15-20 lines by non-family members, none are by people of color.

Roseanne Reveiws G

This is a set of reviews of Roseanne episodes. My general thoughts about that show are here. I will focus only on the political aspects and will mention what percent of lines spoken by non-family members are spoken by people of color.

“One for the Road” Episode 14, season 2. Wikipedia summary is: “Dan and Roseanne are not home, leaving Becky in charge. She invites her friend, Dana over to do homework. When they take a break, Becky whips up a few 'Tornadoes' from the Conner's liquor cabinet, resulting in the girls getting drunk. A hung-over Becky is left to explain herself when Dana's mother arrives the next day demanding an explanation.”

Out of about 25 lines by non-family members, none are by people of color.

“Born to be Wild” Episode 16, season 2. Wikipedia summary is: “The Conners' old biker pal Ziggy (Jay O. Sanders) roars into town, making them feel old, fat, and trapped. In the end, they realize that while their lives are not what they had planned, they still feel fulfillment.”

There’s a negative reference to the chemical DDT, which could be considered an environmental statement.

Out of about 50-75 lines by non-family members, none are by people of color.

“Hair” Episode 17, Season 2. Wikipedia summary is: “Crystal recommends Roseanne for a job at the beauty shop that she frequents, doing the same tasks that she does at home for free. Roseanne is hesitant, but once interviewed, is persuaded into the position by the shop owner. After a short time on the job, she is given a raise, and more responsibility.”

Out of about 60 lines by non-family members, about 20% are by people of color.

“I’m Hungry” Episode 18, Season 2. Wikipedia summary is: “Roseanne and Dan reach the point where they realize they must lose weight. Roseanne takes charge and puts strict restrictions on their diet, but she has the most trouble adapting to the new regime.”

Out of about 35 lines by non-family members, about 20% are by people of color.

“All of me” Episode 19, Season 2. Wikipedia summary is: “Jackie has finally found 'the one,' but Roseanne continues to meddle.”

Out of about 50 lines by non-family members, none are by people of color.

“To Tell the Truth” Episode 20, Season 2. Wikipedia summary is: “Jackie gives Roseanne the silent treatment when she has had enough of her meddling in her love life, but the sisters reconcile. Gary proposes to Jackie on a whim, and Roseanne goes into overdrive with wedding preparations, but Gary and Jackie soon realize they're not ready for marriage. As the ending credits roll there are photographs of the wedding of Prince Charles and Diana Princess of Wales.”

Out of about 40 lines by non-family members, none are by people of color.

Roseanne Reviews F

This is a set of reviews of Roseanne episodes. My general thoughts about that show are here. I will focus only on the political aspects and will mention what percent of lines spoken by non-family members are spoken by people of color.

“Sweet Dreams” Episode 8, Season 2. Wikipedia summary is: “Roseanne tries to relax in the bathtub despite constant interruptions from her family; she ends up dreaming about murdering her husband and kids. The dream ends with Roseanne on trial, her family back from the dead to testify on her behalf, and a lavish musical number.”

Probably about 50 lines were by non-family members and none were by people of color.

“We Gather Together” Episode 9, Season 2. Wikipedia summary is: “On Thanksgiving Day, Jackie finally tells her mother about her new police career. They end up being the main event with their bickering and snickering flowing throughout the holiday feast. After dinner, Dan gets a huge shock when he learns his father is romancing Crystal.”

Of about 15 lines by non-family members, none are by people of color.

“Brain Dead Poets Society” Episode 10, Season 2. Wikipedia summary is: “Darlene's homework poem wins teacher recognition, and she is asked to read it at the school's Culture Night. Roseanne is thrilled, but Darlene does not want to go. Roseanne puts her foot down, and the family goes to the event, where Darlene's reading strikes an emotional chord with all.”

Out of about 25-30 lines by non-family members, none are by people of color.

“Lobo-Cop” Episode 11, Season 2. Wikipedia summary is: “Roseanne gets a second job at the Lobo Lounge, but soon discovers that she and Dan are spending too much time apart.”

Out of about 50 lines by non-family members, about 10% are by people of color.

“Chicken Hearts” Episode 13, Season 2. Wikipedia summary is: “Roseanne's new job at a fast-food restaurant includes an obnoxious teenaged boss. When she invites him to dinner to try to butter him up for better shift hours, his nasty attitude soon convinces everyone that Roseanne deserves better treatment. Glenn Shadix guest-stars as an indecisive customer.”

This episode is, of all the episodes that are about labor and management, probably the furtherest from being pro-union. It DOES however illustrate a labor-management problem and one aspect of why it’s important to talk about working families. Ideally parents shouldn’t have to work when it’s inconvenient for their family life. They’re contributing greatly to our society by raising children and our society should help them with that.

Of about 40 lines by non-family members, none are by people of color.

Roseanne Reviews E

This is a set of reviews of Roseanne episodes. My general thoughts about that show are here. I will focus only on the political aspects and will mention what percent of lines spoken by non-family members are spoken by people of color.

“The Little Sister” Episode 2, Season 2 Wikipedia Summary is: “Jackie takes umbrage at Roseanne's snarky remarks about her career ambitions when she reveals that she has enrolled in the police academy. Becky gets caught reading Dan's girlie magazine; and Darlene commiserates with a drunken Jackie about her frustrations over being the little sister.”

This is the first episode in which Jackie talk about becoming a cop, something she follows through with later on. Although I could put this in the negative column, since in general I’m not real fond of cops, it could be that the Landford police department have no bad apples at all- it’s probably so small it could be that they’re all good people. So, it’s pro-cop to one degree or another, but it’s also a very anti-racist show so maybe it’s not meant as an uncritical pro-cop message. For my thoughts about Black Lives Matter, see this.

This is also either THE or the first pro-porn episode, although it’s mixed. There’s some talk about the idea that women who do porn come from bad families, which is probably mostly not true. I don’t know if that’s part of the feminist anti-porn argument. In any case, overall it’s sort of pro-porn.

“Guilt by Disassociation” Episode 3, Season 2 Wikipedia summary is: “Roseanne gets her hopes up after a friend recommends her for an office job that would allow her to quit her hated telemarketing. After a quick interview, she lands the job—but the celebration is short-lived, when the offer is revoked due to her lack of computer knowledge.”

This episode is significant because out of about 60 lines by non-family members, about 85% are by people of color. And 1-2 lines is by a spanish-speaking immigrant.

“Somebody Stole My Gal” Episode 4, Season 2. Wikipedia Summary is: “Bert (Kevin Dunn), an emotionally needy architect at Dan's new job site adopts the Conners as a surrogate family, much to their chagrin.”

Out of about 50 lines by non-family members, none are by people of color.

“Five of a Kind” Episode 6, season 2. Wikipedia summary is: “A poker night becomes interesting when Roseanne receives a kiss from Dan's friend Arnie. Roseanne tells Jackie about the kiss but later realizes it was only a platonic gesture.”

Of about 60-75 lines by non-family members, about 30% are by people of color.

“BOO!” Episode 7, season 2. Wikipedia summary is: “The Conners celebrate Halloween. Roseanne and Dan compete to see who is the spookiest. Roseanne tries to rekindle the spirit of Halloween for Becky who is upset after she was not invited to a party.”

Out of about 20 lines spoken by non-family members, none are by people or color.

Roseanne Reviews D

This is a set of reviews of Roseanne episodes. My general thoughts about that show are here. I will focus only on the political aspects and will mention what percent of lines spoken by non-family members are spoken by people of color.

“Workin’ Overtime” Episode 19, Season 1. Wikipedia summary is: “The Wellman Plastics employees are exhausted after Booker continues to lengthen work shifts due to upped quotas and machinery errors. Even Roseanne, the queen of the circle, cannot handle the pressure—especially when Dan starts working overtime as well. After one too many long days, she takes a breather at a local diner where a waitress provides some perspective about life and loneliness.”

It seems that there is no union. Although there is at least one episode in a later season that is pro-union, and one episode that is about employees buying their factory, there is nothing in this episode that is pro-union. However, it DOES illustrate conflict between management and labor, but not in a way that is pro-union and there is very little pushback by labor, which might be what happens in that situation in reality, but ideally there would be something pro-union in there.

There is a bad joke that is more of a transphobic than an anti-transphobic statement.

Of about 40 lines by non-family members, about 10% are by a Latina work-friend of Roseanne’s (I’m going to slightly edit some of the earlier reviews to reflect that this woman is a Latina, something I just found out (there were two barely perceptible hints, but they could have said her name, and I just finally found her name)).

“Toto, We’re Not In Kansas Anymore” Episode 20, Season 1. Wikipedia summary is: “A dangerous tornado is heading for Lanford, and the Conners, along with Crystal (who takes shelter at their house), prepare for the storm. Problems arise: Becky insists on retrieving her pet guinea pigs from the garage, while Jackie barely makes it to shelter after a trip to the grocery store, prompting a fight with her and Roseanne.”

There are about 20 lines by a non-family member and all of them are by a white person.

“Death and Stuff” Episode 21, Season 1. Wikipedia summary is: “During the family's busy weekend activities, a door-to-door salesman drops dead in the Conner kitchen. Roseanne and Dan attempt to conceal the corpse from potential buyers for their washer and dryer. The police officer who responded to their emergency call helps Darlene with a school assignment while waiting for the coroner to arrive.”

There are about 25 lines by non-family members and practically all of them are by white people.

“Dear Mom and Dad” Episode 22, Season 1. The Wikipedia summary is: “An unannounced visit by Roseanne's parents throws the Conner house into an uproar. Dan and Jackie are pushing a usually outspoken Roseanne to stick up for herself after she is at a loss for words. Hostility and craziness abound, but the biggest shock comes when Bev announces that they are moving to Lanford. Bruce Willis makes a cameo appearance as himself during the end credits.”

There is one flawed anti-homophobic statement. We learn that Roseanne has a gay aunt. It involves a bad joke about female gym teachers, but considering how anti-homophobic the show is later on (looking at the entire series, I think that about 1% of all lines are spoken by characters who are out when they speak those lines, and that goes up to about 3% if we count lines spoken when viewers didn’t know those characters were gay) I think it’s an anti-homophobic statement.

“Let’s Call it Quits” Episode 23, Season 1. Wikipedia summary is: “The Wellman factory women rebel against the stringent rules imposed by a tough new supervisor. After he raises the cap on the quotas yet again, Roseanne asks him to ease off. The boss agrees, but only if Roseanne agrees to treat him with undeserved respect. When he reneges on the deal by claiming he now controls Roseanne, she, along with Jackie and their friends, permanently clock out. Final regular appearance of George Clooney as Booker.”

This episode finally has some stuff that is near pro-union and at the VERY end turns into something pro-union. It would be better if it resulted in an organizing campaign or some kind of non-union action (I don’t know what the legal boundaries on that are) but it’s still pretty good. It’s a good illustration of abusive management, not to mention stupid management. Besides the argument that it’s just wrong to treat workers like that, setting an unreachable quota can create anxiety, stress and depression that affects their ability to get anywhere near that quota.

Although it would have been better if they had started a union and/or engaged in some kind of collective action, some of the workers DID talk and get a representative, Roseanne, to talk to the supervisor and she negotiated with him and briefly got the quotas lowered. But he clearly had absolutely no respect for workers and he raised the quotas to the earlier, unmeetable level. Shortly after that, Roseanne and her friends leave.

How far is this from being pro-union? The show expresses solid support for unions in at least one later episode and in the 9th season Roseanne and Jackie use some of their lottery wealth to help the factory employees buy the factory., So, this episode is in the context of a pro-labor show. At the very end of this episode those factory workers who left cheer as Roseanne says her name is Sally Field, which must be a reference to the pro-union movie “Norma Rae” where Field plays a pro-union worker.

There’s probably about 85-100 lines by non-family members and about 20% are by a black female friend of Roseanne’s at work.